A1 English GrammarBasic Adjectives
Describe people, places, and things with common adjectives. Learn adjective placement and the difference between adjectives and adverbs.
1Adjective Position
In English, adjectives usually go BEFORE the noun they describe. Unlike many languages, English adjectives never change form - they stay the same regardless of the noun's number or gender.
Adjective Before Noun
| Adjective | Noun | Full Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| big | house | a big house |
| beautiful | flowers | beautiful flowers |
| old | man | an old man |
| red | car | a red car |
Examples
She has a beautiful garden.
She has a beautiful garden.
adjective before noun
I bought new shoes.
I bought new shoes.
same form for plural
They live in a small apartment.
They live in a small apartment.
adjective before noun
2Adjectives with 'Be'
Adjectives can also come after the verb 'be' (am, is, are, was, were). In this position, they describe the subject of the sentence.
Examples
The weather is nice today.
The weather is nice today.
adjective after 'is'
I am tired.
I am tired.
adjective after 'am'
The children are happy.
The children are happy.
adjective after 'are'
This soup is delicious!
This soup is delicious!
adjective after 'is'
3Common Adjectives
Learn these common adjectives for describing size, quality, age, color, and feelings. These are essential for everyday conversation.
Common Adjective Pairs
| Category | Adjectives |
|---|---|
| Size | big/small, tall/short, long/short |
| Quality | good/bad, nice/awful, beautiful/ugly |
| Age | old/young, new/old, ancient/modern |
| Feelings | happy/sad, tired/energetic, angry/calm |
| Temperature | hot/cold, warm/cool |
Examples
It's a hot day.
It's a hot day.
temperature
She is a young woman.
She is a young woman.
age
This is a good idea.
This is a good idea.
quality
He seems happy today.
He seems happy today.
feeling
4Multiple Adjectives
When using multiple adjectives, they follow a specific order: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose. In practice, we rarely use more than 2-3 adjectives together.
Adjective Order
| Order | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opinion | beautiful, nice, awful |
| 2 | Size | big, small, tall |
| 3 | Age | old, new, young |
| 4 | Color | red, blue, green |
| 5 | Origin | Italian, Japanese, French |
Examples
a beautiful old house
a beautiful old house
opinion + age
a small black cat
a small black cat
size + color
a nice Italian restaurant
a nice Italian restaurant
opinion + origin